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Mr Trout confirmed one of the horses owned by Blazing Saddles had died from Hendra virus.

“Four staff from Blazing Saddles, including my brother had contact with the animal in the time immediately preceding its death,” he said in a statement this evening.

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“Hendra virus is well known to be caused by horses coming into contact with flying foxes, which as most will know, are commonly in plague proportions here in far north Queensland.

“Obviously Blazing Saddles will now be subject to all the necessary quarantines and inspections that come with such sad events.

“My only focus at the moment is the well-being of those people who have been in contact with the animal, whose health is of the utmost importance to me.”

Biosecurity Queensland confirmed the dead horse had the lethal virus, which spreads from bats to horses and in rare cases can spread to humans.

In recent weeks authorities have been managing several Hendra virus cases in southeast Queensland, with a number of properties quarantined and people tested for the infection.

Chief biosecurity officer Jim Thompson said in the latest case, a private vet attended the sick horse on Sunday and took samples and the horse died yesterday morning.

“Initial reports are that there are 37 other horses on the property – we are in the process of quarantining the property with Biosecurity Queensland officers already in contact with the owners,” he said in a statement.

“Tracing will be a priority to determine what contact the deceased horse had with other animals on the property.

“Queensland Health, key horse industry groups and the Australian Veterinary Association have been notified of this latest case.”

Queensland Health staff were on their way to the property to assess the situation and offer any testing or treatment to people who may have come into contact with the horses, the statement said.

The case means eight horses with Hendra have died or been put down since June 20 in Queensland and northern NSW.